The legal world was not immune to the topsy-turvy crapshoot of 2016, a banner year for deaths and political upsets. As Bowie and Prince were killed off while the less-loved Trump and Farage were promoted, the Brexit vote sent shockwaves through lawyerdom and a City stalwart imploded. 

Do the waggly hands thing and take a leap backwards with RollOnFriday for a canter through the most-read stories of the year.



2016 kicked off with the Trowers & Hamlins employee who was fired for being too smelly. Over at Jones Day, four partners were humiliated with demotions to counsel. In two of the most popular stories of the year, the recipient of the Golden Turd and the RollOnFriday Firm of the Year were revealed (another big hit: the Worst Managed firms). 

KWM was left rudderless when three members of its senior management team stepped down. it triggered a cascade of departures which would deliver an unhappy reminder to lawyers that, however safe it all feels in an office with a PA and a paycheck, things can change very rapidly if confidence drains away. And when hypocritical partners crow about loyalty but, when the crunch comes, display none.




Emails leaked to RollOnFriday which revealed a Sidley Austin partner scolding a lawyer for saying thank you, while a Freshfields associate got ripped off by a travelling tailor. And RollOnFriday exposed the extraordinary behaviour of a legal recruitment agency which invented fake members of staff.




A DLA Piper partner was hauled before the SDT over Gashgate (and in July his must-read creepy emails referring to "Klunt" were revealed), however DLA kept on West thanks to his earning power. There were no such moral compromises at Mishcon when one of its tax lawyers was caught in possession of child and bestiality porn, and was promptly sacked.

RollOnFriday uncovered a less vile internet sin being committed by a Penningtons Manches partner: making trainees amend his massive Wikipedia page/ totem to the ego. RollOnFriday also broke Linklaters' pay hike, and pulled back the curtain on a debauched Kirkland & Ellis party where the champagne flowed and the partners groped.

Next: April to June
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